504
Automatic Updating of Ownership of Trademark Applications and Registrations in
Trademark Database

Except in the limited circumstances set forth in
TMEP §504.01, the USPTO
will automatically update the ownership information in the Trademark database of registrations
and pending applications when one of the following documents is recorded with the Assignment
Recordation Branch:

Assignment of entire interest and goodwill;

Nunc Pro Tunc Assignment of entire interest and
goodwill;

Merger;

Change of Name;

Merger and Change of Name; or

Entity Conversion.

In these situations, it is unnecessary for the new owner to
notify the Trademark Operation of the change of ownership, or to file a request in a pending
application that the certificate of registration issue in the name of the new owner. In all
other situations, the new owner must separately notify the Trademark Operation in writing that
ownership has changed in order to update the ownership information in the Trademark
database.

To ensure that the Trademark database is automatically updated,
the party filing the change-of-ownership documents should identify the “Nature of the
Conveyance” by checking the “Assignment,” “Nunc Pro Tunc Assignment,” “Merger,” “Change of
Name,” “Merger and Change of Name,” or “Entity Conversion” box in the “Nature of Conveyance”
field and should not check the “Other” box.

The Trademark database will show only the last recorded owner,
not the complete chain of title. The complete chain of title can be obtained from the
Assignment Recordation Branch’s database on the USPTO website at Assignments on the
Web. The “Ownership” field in the Trademark database will be automatically
updated whether or not the records of the Assignment Recordation Branch show clear chain of
title transferring ownership to the last recorded owner. The Trademark database will include
the reel and frame number and execution date of the recorded document, as well as a notation
to “Check Assignments.” Examining attorneys must check assignment records to ensure that the
owner of record in the Trademark database has clear chain of title. If there is no clear chain
of title, the ownership information should be changed to the last owner with clear chain of
title and a Note to the File should be entered in the record to document the change.

Trademark owners can search the Assignment database to
determine whether an assignment has been recorded and can check TSDR at http://tsdr.uspto.gov/ to determine whether the
Trademark database has been updated.

Note - Filing Multiple Assignments with the Same Execution Date on the Same
Date: When multiple assignments with the same execution date are filed on the
same date, the ownership information in the Trademark database will not be automatically
updated. See the note in TMEP
§504.01 for further information.

Automatic updates to the ownership information will not
automatically update the correspondence address in the USPTO records. A separate written
request to change the correspondence address must be filed. See
TMEP
§503.01(b).